A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information.

Geographic Information System may be used in archaeology, geography, cartography, remote sensing, land surveying, public utility management, natural resource management, precision agriculture, photogrammetry, urban planning, emergency management, environmental contamination, landscape architecture, navigation, aerial video and localized search engines.

Course will focus on a powerful Open Source program and developed by a worldwide and very active community of software programmers. The software is totally free of cost and can be downloaded and installed in any computers under the GNU-General Public License. Everyday new plug in and updates  are released and made available to download for free enhancing the program capabilities and making the software a great tool for researchers, students and professionals who work with spatial data.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

• Basics of Open Source GIS concepts
• Download of free GIS Irish data
• Create colorful map
• Converting an excavation plan from tracing paper into a digital format
• Use of free Google images for archaeological maps

DURATION
2 days (15 hours)

DATES
Day 1: Sun 14/8/2011
Day 2: Sat  20/8/2011
Check calendar dates

TIME
10.00 to 18.00 (7.5hours tuition)

LOCATION
CRDS office, Unit 4A, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14, Ireland (10 mins walk from Windy Arbour Luas station)



EXERCISES
The course will include 2 hours exercise per day where students get to practice GIS software using real archaeological data from Black Friary excavation in Trim (Co. Meath) 

REQUIRED SKILLS
•    No GIS skills required
•    Familiar with Microsoft Windows environment

ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT
•    Delivered trough website - ticket system submission - or email 

The participant will walk away from this course with a basic skill package of GIS concepts. This will includes making their own archaeological site maps.

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DAY 1 TOPICS
•    Introduction to Open Source license, GIS and the concept of "clever" maps 
•    Types of digital maps in Archaeology
•    GIS data format: vector and raster file
•    Software download and installation
•    Georeferencing a site plan

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DAY 2 TOPICS
•    Digitizing and labeling archaeological site plan
•    Working with vector files using geoprocessing tools
•    The Map Composer
•    Plugins overview